17 Feb 2014

Employees are the backbone of every economy, says MP for Lobatse, Mr Nehemiah Modubule.

Speaking to members at the Botswana Meat Industry Workers Union (BMIWU) conference over the weekend (February 15-16) Mr Modubule said employers and employees should always engage in constant talks related to their business and work.

He said both parties so badly needed each other’s constant participation that if there were no employees, work would be done. “The relationship between management and workers should always be cordial as you are reliant on each other for prosperity,” he said.

Mr Modubule noted that for employers to make profit, they had to cheat the labour force or people as they could not cheat commodities as they were fixed.

If there were no profits, the first victim would be the employee even in the event that machinery and equipment were broken or not available, he pointed out, adding “an injury to one is an injury to all” as in trade unions there are always casualties.

He urged workers to continue working hard as they needed such employment to survive and that they made sure that businesses did not fall as they were interdependent.

On the other hand he advised unionists to stand together, but at the same time guarding against employers who had a tendency of dividing union members.

Chairman of BMIWU, Mr Thuso Hule told members that division in ideas does not built and as such he urged members to participate in deliberations and come up with meaningful contributions that will enhance the existence of the union.

He said the purpose of the conference was to look back and come up with new ideas that would strengthen them and how they could best manage their past failures as a union.

Manager employee at BMC, Mr Lebogang Mokgotlhe said labour relations could involve direct physical and emotional confrontation such as when workers down tools to show their dissatisfaction.

He said that the trade unions are the vanguard of the employee’s aspirations and should be protected for the realisation of universal peace. ENDS